THUNDER BAY – NEWS – The Coast Guard Great Lakes district received reports at 6:53 a.m. of a collision involving the 689-foot-long freighter Michipicoten. The ship, carrying taconite (a low-grade iron ore) and 22 crew members, struck an unknown object approximately 35 miles southwest of Isle Royale, Michigan.
Swift action by the crew saw onboard water pumps activated, successfully displacing water and reducing the ship’s list from 15 degrees to 5 degrees by 9:15 a.m., ensuring the freighter remained stable with no spillage reported.
Coast Guard helicopter and boat crews were dispatched immediately to assist. By 12:30 p.m., half of the crew had been evacuated for safety reasons.
The Michipicoten is now en route to Thunder Bay Ontario for a thorough inspection and necessary repairs.
At 3:45 PM the Michipicoten is in Thunder Bay, with the Canadian Coast Guard vessel Cape Chaillon along side.
Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the collision, which occurred in the northwestern region of Lake Superior, the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area and straddling the U.S.-Canadian border.
